Chomp Chomp Chomp… The sound I make as I eat this freaking fantastic crunchy granola. You know it’s good when the person sitting next to you is annoyed by the sound of you face while eating.  I eat a lot of crunchy stuff. And I am pretty sure I annoy the mister a lot. 

Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.

So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces. 

This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level.  It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)

The simplest of stuff. 1 smashed banana, a cup of pureed butternut squash, Vietnamese cinnamon*, honey, and old fashion oats. (and a dash of salt, not shown)

*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t  cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated. 

Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for  people.

Dump the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little pat, you know, to settle all the bit and pieces together, all cozy and evenly spread out. Now stick into a preheated oven and after about 20 minutes, take out of oven and give the granola a toss, breaking apart any super big chunks or overly wet pieces. Put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (I like my granola super crispy crunchy so I cook it a little longer, like 30 more minutes)And when you are happy with the crunchiness of you granola, remove from oven and let cool, trying not to eat all of it while it sit’s on the counter looking all pretty and smelling like happiness. 

Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!

-C

Banana Butternut Granola

• 3 cups old fashion oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed 
• 1 cup butternut squash puree (can use canned)
• 2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (or 2 tablespoons regular cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
• 1-3 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (use greater amount for sweeter)
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.

Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.

Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on  baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.

Eat as is, as a cold cereal,  dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.

Wowzers…Is it for real Memorial day weekend? Where has all the time gone? Let’s talk about a week gone by fast. My brain is on complete overdrive and I am having a hard time keeping it from exploding…SO MUCH TO DO! (Not bad stuff, just a lot of stuff) But lo, that’s life right? There is always a lots of “stuff” to do, but today I am going to try and let that stuff chill and maybe give myself a few hours of coffee, (so much coffee) reading a book in the sunshine, gardening, and just some overall chillin. 

Hopefully.

And hopefully you party people out there will be able to do a little of the same, or at least the chillin part. It is a 3 day weekend after all (not for us, but whatever)

Some internet fun finds.

-Sleeping in a loft that I have to crawl to get to the bed… this  Gallery of Gorgeous Attic Bedrooms makes me so jealous..

-This new startup wants to sell you ugly fruit and veggies. I still don’t get it, it’s not ugly, its awesome.

-So cool and reminds me of my late brother in law. Wet Fold Origami Technique Gives Wavy Personality to Paper Animals by Artist Hoang Tien Quyet

-Could this be my new home? And I love a good plant lady. BURSTING WITH PLANTS, A 1910 PORTLAND FOURSQUARE FOR A FLORIST AND BARISTA

-Its so weird how try this is. Going, Going, Gone: 30+ Items That Are Disappearing from Our Homes

-We are doing this is the humongus pot hole in front of our house(we want to anyway) Treats in the Streets: Artist Jim Bachor Fills Potholes with Ice Cream Mosaics

-Holy shit is this the mister. 5 Conditions That Afflict the Reluctant Dishwasher. (1 and 2  really hit the nail)

A few photos from the weekGoodbye fiddleheads…. Hello ferns 

On our way to a geo catch…. And note clothing options for 2 in the afternoon. I am much fond of that little guy wearing a rain jacket without a shirt in when its sunny and 80 degrees. And a pink poke dot bath robe.. I mean, it’s so the cool thing to do. 

We didn’t find the geo, but we found this gigantic mushroom. Just as cool, maybe even cooler.

I love brick and there is one street in all of burlington (that I know of) that has brick sidewalks. I like to walk down it a lot. 

Nurse lady making food… I compare this to a big foot sighting. I have heard stories that she cooks,but have never actually witnessed it myself. (Just kidding….kinda)

Happy long weekend! (if you are lucky to have one!)

-C

     Before we get to the fries, I just want to mention that  yesterday was one of those fantastic winter days that reminds me why I love living in Vermont.  Pretty white snow everywhere, the sun was out, and 20 degrees without a gust of wind. The trash dog an I were even able to go for a little hike.  It was so nice and soooo sooo needed!  Anyways, the other day as me, my sister and the mister where putting together  one more piece of Ikea furniture, (I am the master at Ikea assembling!)  a little runs into the room and presents the mister with a Dominos pizza. Yup, a whole pizza just for him. Why you might ask? Well I guess my sister was  delivered the wrong pizza and the place didn’t want it back and she didn’t want it, so she gave it to him.

A whole pizza to himself. I didn’t mind too much..he was just going to be eating it for lunch and dinner until it was out of the fridge. But for dinner I did want him to eat something of the vegetable matter that didn’t come out of a box. I was going to make him a big salad, but then realized that would mean sharing the last of the greens that I had for MY dinner and I was not about to do that, so I made him parsnip and carrot fries instead. No biggy, just some slicing, a little tossing and a bit of time in the old oven. And I figured I might as well make a nice sauce for those fries because I be so very nice.

The biggest problem that I ran into when I made these fries was that I didn’t make enough, so you should probably make twice as many as you think you will eat. If you end up not eating them all (which you probably will), well then you now have a great start for a soup or a nice addition to a salad. Either way, you will eat them because they are amazing and addicting… and as healthy as can be!

The carrots and the parsnips are all sliced up into big matchsticks and ready to be baked to crispy browned perfection.  I added the oil to the pan to toss the fries in and then sprinkled with a fair amount of salt and pepper.  If you don’t have and or want to use a cast iron pan, a baking sheet works just the same.

   Oh saucy sauce stuff. Tomato puree, sriracha, and yellow mustard. Add a little bit of honey to lighten it up (can use brown sugar if keeping it vegan), a splash of apple cider vinegar and a couple minced cloves of garlic. Topped off with the smokey delightful spice of cumin. I cold eat this on everything…and I kind of did. 

All mixed up in an oven safe dish, I stuck it into the oven for a about 8 minutes until it got a little bubbly, just to let all the flavors fuse together…

Fries are done, Sauce is ready. Served in super cute tea cups.(from now on I want to serve everything in tea cups.) A perfect side dish, snack, or even a light meal.  It lead the mister to ask the question…What pizza? 

Happy Day!

-C

Parsnip and Carrot Fries with Smokey Sriracha Sauce

The Stuff

For the Fries

• 2 large parsnips
• 2 large carrot
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil

For the Sauce

• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 2 tablespoon tomato puree (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 tablespoon water)
• 2 cloves or garlic
• 1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• a splash of apple cider vinegar
• a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425.

Wash and trim carrots and parsnips and cut into large matchsticks (any shape is good, just make them all uniform) Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on cast iron pan or baking sheet and stick in oven for 30 or so minutes, and rotating after about 20. The fries are done when  crispy and brown.

For the sauce. Mince garlic and add to all the sauce ingredients in an oven safe bowl. stick into oven for about 8 minutes until slightly bubbly and hot.

Dip fries in sauce

 Happy Hanukkah!!! Today is the first day of the  festival of lights and I wanted to send a little love towards those who celebrate it.

I am not going to lie, I don’t know much about Hanukkah but I do know that its customary to eat fried foods during the holiday. The oil represents the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days ands.nights when it should have lasted for only one night. That’s a cool reason to celebrate.. So a lot of food eaten during the holiday is fried, therefore I must fry, and what better than potato latkes.

I don’t usually fry anything. But again, I don’t think I used as much oil with these as I could have..just enough to cook and not stick. Hey, it’s the holidays and this oil had meaning so it’s completely a ok to eat a little fried, just make sure to eat lots of good healthy stuff too!

I didn’t actually use all the potatoes in the picture, but I wish I did. There was the perfect amount for dinner for two people, but I wanted to make a few extra for left overs….there were none. Oh well. I did a matchstick dice for the apples.. I didn’t want the apples to be to chunky and I didn’t want them to turn into sauce so the match stick worked well. After I diced the apples, I squeezed a little lemon over the top to keep the apple from turning brown.

I start grating the potatoes and onion, and whoa!  Imagine my surprise when  one of the potatoes was purple… I got pretty excited.The color is so beautiful. and made the latkes look so nice…It was meant to be.Super squeeze the juices out of the grated potato and onion. If you don’t get most of the liquid out, the potato won’t crisp up and will fall apart and be and it will be gross. So SQUEEZE! Add in the egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix it on up. Did I mention that I was making these for the mister and the GF sister..No flour, just cornstarch. I think they might have come out even better without the flour…so yeah, these babies are gluten-free.

Your mixture is going to start to get a little watery again. Its cool, just squeeze it out with your hands and smash into patties.Enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan on medium heat. Test the oil to make sure its hot enough before sticking the latke n the pan. To test, sprinkle water in pan, if it sizzles, its ready.Working in batches,  fry each latke on each side for around 5 minutes..you don’t want to cook to fast or the inside of the latkes will be raw. I always do a tester and feed it to nick. He’s my guinea pig….He said they were awesome.. With every batch made, stick on a wire rack and keep in the oven to stay warm. The rack keeps the bottom from getting soggy on the pan… so use it.    Roasted apples are the BOMB!!!  Its like eating apple sauce sticks or little bites of heaven(A bit dramatic, but these are so good) I roasted mine for 20 minutes, until they were nice and soft but not completely failing apart. If you are into it, add a touch of cinnamon…I did’t this time, but you bet  I am going to be making myself a big ol bowl of roasted apples this week, and yes, I will top with cinnamon. A  bowl of apple slaw, sour cream and lemon wedges….I put the latkes on a nice little pile of greens. A very good idea.  A dinner worth celebrating! I also served the latkes with roasted chickpeas and cailflower…for more of a meal…( Mini recipe… Cauilfower and chick peas drizzled in olive oil,  tossed in salt pepper and garlic, roasted 30 minutes and topped with lemon) A little added veggie and protein….I am looking out for you people.

There we have it…my variation on a traditional food. Enjoy your fried pancakes of potato and onion, they are a food worth a celebration.

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Potato Latkes with Roasted Apple Slaw

Ingredients

• 3 medium potatoes
• half of a small onion
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 medium apples
• sour cream(optional)

Wash and cut  apples into match sticks… Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and stick in oven. Let roast for 15-20 minutes or until the apple is nice and soft. Remove and set aside.

In a large bowl, grate the potatoes and the onion. Transfer the mixture into a clean towel and squeeze the crap out of it to remove as much liquid as possible. Return to bowl and add the two eggs, corn starch and salt and pepper. In a large skillet on medium heat, drizzle enough oil to completely cover the bottom..Work in batches and after each batch, add a bit more oil to cover the pan. Once the oil is hot place squashed latkes  into oil. Fry each side until crispy and brown, about 3-5 minutes. When fully cooked, place on a wire rack in the oven to stay warm and crisp.  When ready to serve, top with roasted apples and a dollop of sour cream.  You can serve the latkes on top a bed of greens..Its a good way to make the pancakes more meal like.

Enjoy

Sometimes, no matter whats going on with the week, Monday seems like, well, like a Monday. I drag a little on Mondays. I think it stems from the Monday through Friday school week that was beaten into me for 16 plus years. Hate Mondays, Love Fridays.. Yup, I blame the public educational system(I have to blame someone) I want my day back. I don’t want to feel the drag today. I am going to have a fantastic day.  I’m getting excited, pumped up and ready for the week. I am turning my Mondays into fun days. Funday Monday…Yes, yes I did just say that. .  See, don’t we all feel better already?

On this Funday, I don’t want to worry all day what I am going to make for dinner, I just want something tasty and easy. .Whats better than a plate of fries?……. a plate of roasted rutabaga fries! Yes! See, we are already having a great day. A plate of fries, easy, delicious and nutritious. Not a bad start to the week. You can eat them with  just about anything, a grilled cheese tomato and avocado sandwich, a bowl of curried lentil soup..or just straight up eat a big old pile of these roasted rutafries (That a word, I swear) Just have fun with it. Its funday Monday after all.

One large rutabaga… This one fed 2 as a side… but if your eating just the fries, eat a whole one to your face. It’s totally cool.Chop the rutabaga into fries and toss with a smidge of oil, salt, pepper and ground up rosemary. Don’t like the rosemary… don’t use it. Maybe try something else like sage or garlic and onion powder or curry powder. Just use whatever you like. Throw into a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, give them a flip and back in for another 15, Simple. Easy.

Remove from oven when crisped to your liking and eat.

Yes, this was a dinner of rutafries and brussel sprouts, is that a problem? I don’t think so .A suggestion, .dip in mustard….its fantastic, but go the ketchup route if that s your fancy.

Alright people..Have a great day and remember to not let today be a drag of a Monday, make it fun, looking forward to a  plate of rutafries for dinner and think of how great the rest of the week is going to be!( I might have been a motivational speaker in a past life)

FUNDAY MONDAY!!!!!

I had to share the last of the 5 pineapples cause if I didn’t, that would mean  I ate 5 pineapples by myself. (I ate 4 pineapples by myself) So donuts were made and delivered to my sisters house where I proceeded to make her and her kids and another sister dinner. (hand made pizza on a weekday!) I then whipped out these pretty little upside down pineapple donuts for dessert, right after I cleaned up and made whipped cream. The kids were swallowing them hole and trying to steal just one more  and my sister and the mister, well they had to eat their donuts all elegant like with forks. (weirdos)

 I know I have said it before but just in case you forgot

I am the best sister/aunt ever!  

 The stuff. Flour, salt, and the baking soda whisked together into a bowl. Fresh pureed pineapple, milk, egg, melted butter, and white sugar. Than there is more melted butter, brown sugar and fresh pineapple for the upside down.  This batter is pretty simple, just make sure to whisk all the dry really well. Dump all the wet stuff into the dry and mix until combined. Don’t over mix!Grease the donut pan really well and mix the brown sugar with the remaining melted butter

      Drizzle the bottom of each donut round with the butter/ sugar mix  then layer thinly sliced pieces of pineapple around the hole maker. (not as perfect as a pineapple ring, but still pretty)

Scoop donut batter on into the pan and stick into the oven preheated at 350 degrees. When donuts are all nice and golden brown, remove from oven and let sit and cool for about 5 minutes to give the donuts time to cool and the brown sugar to thicken. Dump donuts out onto a wires rackAnd serve them all upside down like. Maybe with a scoop of whipped cream or ice cream or nothing. 

Donut Smiles!

-C

Pineapple Upside Down Donuts

Makes 12 donuts

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons melted butter ( 1/2 s for batter 1/2 for sugar mixture)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pinapple puree (about 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks blended)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sliced pineapple

Note. I used fresh pineapple, but you could use canned. I think you would need a of rings (cut in half) and a an of chunks, blended up)

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease the donut pan(s)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.  Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and mix that with into the flour mixture along with the pineapple puree, milk, and lastly the egg. Mix until combined.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix into the brown sugar. Drizzle (crumble) about a teaspoon of the mixture into the bottoms if each donut mold. Layer thinly sliced pineapple on top of that then scoop donut batter on top of that. Stick into the oven for about  10 minutes, or until donuts are gold brown and a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 or so minutes on a wire rack before turning out of pan. 

If working with one pan, make sure to really clean the pan and re-grease before baking the second batch!

Serve donuts with a scoop of whipped cream and eat with your face. 

I never use to eat breakfast. Or I would drink a pot of coffee and call that my breakfast. (which still happens every now and then) But as I get older I have realized the importance of a eating a healthy morning meal.. If I eat breakfast I have more energy throughout the day. I go to the gym in the mornings and find that if I eat before or right after that I feel so much better and stronger and am less likely to have a major energy crash.. I also made breakfast a routine, where I read while I eat, which is one of my favorite parts of the day.  This bowl of greatness has made me wake up hungry, to the point that sometime I go to bed excited to wake up and eat, and i’ll be honest, to drink coffee.(that’s totally not weird)

And I know, this might seem like a strange combination to some, that lentils should not be a breakfast food. But really think about it. Why not? I am a firm believe that anything healthy that provides a great amount of nourishment is good breakfast food.  

This breakfast bowl is full of everything that I love. It’s backed full of proteins and all sorts of other hearhtly vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (I am not going to list everything) and is the optimal form of nourishment…. The perfect breakfast.

Still  skeptical…Well don’t be because I am telling you, this is oh so tasty. Just trust.

The stuff*…. Cooked and cooled lentils, a carrot, a couple strawberries and a small apple, all chopped up. And cinnamon. Don’t forget the cinnamon.

*Note..  I always start with the lentils and carrots but will change uo the mix ins. I like peaches, blueberries, cherries, pears, roasted sweet potatoes. I’ll use pretty much whatever I have for fruit in the house. So what I am saying is  use whatever you like. 

Take you stuff, and pile into a bowl all nice and pretty.

Sprinkle on a spoonful of cinnamon..

This is for real, the best breakfast ever!

Start your morning right and have a great day!

-C

• Between 1/2- 1 cup cooked and cooled lentils 
• About a cup of mix ins. (use whatever you like.. apple, pears, any type of berry, roasted sweet potato, cherries, peaches, nuts, carrots, mango)
• Cinnamon

Place lentils and mix in’s into a bowl. Sprinkle on desired amount of  cinnamon. Mix together and eat.

Can be made the night before so it is all ready for the morning.

Use a spoon or your fingers,  Always chew with mouth.

It used to be that if I got hungry after dinner I would cut up a piece of fruit and a carrot for a snack, but when the mister started to eat my snack, I figured I should  just cut up a few pieces to share.

Then it turned into a thing. 

Now just about every night  I make us (us sometimes includes a few littles) a after dinner smorgasbord of fruits and veggies that I stick on the coffee table for us to pick at while we are chillin out for the night. It’s fantastic…. I mean, who wouldn’t love a big plate of cut up apple, pear, broccoli, strawberries, and carrots. I use whatever fruit and veggies that I have in the house and usually whatever is in season. (Woo Ha for watermelon season!)  And not only is it a super fresh, guilt free, no pressure snack, it also  keeps us from eating a bunch of crap throughout the night.

And the little  love it too. They have now come to request a smorgasbord whenever I am around (and now ask their mom for smorgasbords now too) Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a big plate of food that they grab at without someone nagging them to eat, or maybe they just like to say the word smorgasbord. Whatever it is, the littles are eating a good portion of fruits and veggies….. and loving it. 

Look at me instilling good habits into the littles…Finally My sisters can stop blaming me for the bad stuff (no I did not teach them to say that) but blame me for this.

I am so good!  

-C

• Pick at least 2 fruits, anything from apples, kiwi, and oranges to bananas, cantaloupe and strawberries. (the more variety the better)
• Pick at least one veggie (carrots are the best, sweet peppers, cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower florets are great too)
• a little bowl of cinnamon for dipping (optional)

Wash and cut up your selection and stick on a plate. Place where everyone can reach. Much and crunch until gone or stick any left overs in fridge for breakfast.

 Today I am going to spend the day hiding inside (it’s suppose rain all day) binge watching Top Chef, while baking as many cakes and cookies as I can. For I stumbled upon the amazing world of aquagfaba (bean water, which when whipped, act almost exactly like egg white). It’s freaking amazing and I now I must devote my life to it. (no, not really).

Other then the bean juice, this week had been good. Lots of amazing clouds in the sky, more super fresh summer veggies, bke rides, gardening, summertime fun. We really wanted to go camping this weekend, but sadly our plans fell through, which is probably a good  because I really don’t think my body can survive any more bug bites. I think I might have contracted west nile from the 100 trillion bug bites that I got while strawberry picking. I also might have gotten a little poison ivy (can’t tell if its just more  bug bites). Either way, my skin is destroyed and I am ready to tear it all off. Oh well, we did get to spend  a day on a river where the mr fished and I played with rocks. Good times.

So today, baking with aquafaba, a little T.V, some watercolor painting, and maybe a little of that stinky pink lotion on my legs. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Sounds like a pretty good day to me. Hope that you out there are going to do the same (maybe not play with bean water, but have a relaxing day) 

Some fun and awesome internet stuff to peruse if you are hanging around the old computer.

– This is such a great design… I want one.  Tiny Footprint: A Prefab Home for Two, in 183 Square Feet by Michelle Slatalla  

– How To Make Slime…. My life is now complete.

-2015’s Crime Stories Are Riddled With Hangry People . My headline  would be ..”Vegan girl reverts to cannibalism. Eats boyfriends arm off while stuck in traffic on the way to the farmers market”… HAHAHA

-Are You Flossing Or Just Lying About Flossing? The Dentist Knows. Just so you know.  

– J.K. Rowling Announces ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Will Hit London Stage. And of course it’s all the way in London. What about me?

– Really need to get me one of these. Camp in the Air: New Suspended Treehouse Tents and Hammocks

-Andrés Jaque’s giant water purifier unveiled in MoMA PS1 courtyard 

– I am so going to be making this as soon as the chard is ready in the garden .A Genius Trick for Lighter, Smoother Hummus 

-This is Real: The Baby Cage. NOO..but YES!!!!

And some pictures from the week.

I never use to eat breakfast. Or I would drink a pot of coffee and call that my breakfast. (which still happens every now and then) But as I get older I have realized the importance of a eating a healthy morning meal.. If I eat breakfast I have more energy throughout the day. I go to the gym in the mornings and find that if I eat before or right after that I feel so much better and stronger and am less likely to have a major energy crash.. I also made breakfast a routine, where I read while I eat, which is one of my favorite parts of the day.  This bowl of greatness has made me wake up hungry, to the point that sometime I go to bed excited to wake up and eat, and i’ll be honest, to drink coffee.(that’s totally not weird)

And I know, this might seem like a strange combination to some, that lentils should not be a breakfast food. But really think about it. Why not? I am a firm believe that anything healthy that provides a great amount of nourishment is good breakfast food.  

This breakfast bowl is full of everything that I love. It’s backed full of proteins and all sorts of other hearhtly vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (I am not going to list everything) and is the optimal form of nourishment…. The perfect breakfast.

Still  skeptical…Well don’t be because I am telling you, this is oh so tasty. Just trust.

The stuff*…. Cooked and cooled lentils, a carrot, a couple strawberries and a small apple, all chopped up. And cinnamon. Don’t forget the cinnamon.

*Note..  I always start with the lentils and carrots but will change uo the mix ins. I like peaches, blueberries, cherries, pears, roasted sweet potatoes. I’ll use pretty much whatever I have for fruit in the house. So what I am saying is  use whatever you like. 

Take you stuff, and pile into a bowl all nice and pretty.

Sprinkle on a spoonful of cinnamon..

This is for real, the best breakfast ever!

Start your morning right and have a great day!

-C

• Between 1/2- 1 cup cooked and cooled lentils 
• About a cup of mix ins. (use whatever you like.. apple, pears, any type of berry, roasted sweet potato, cherries, peaches, nuts, carrots, mango)
• Cinnamon

Place lentils and mix in’s into a bowl. Sprinkle on desired amount of  cinnamon. Mix together and eat.

Can be made the night before so it is all ready for the morning.

Use a spoon or your fingers,  Always chew with mouth.

Hey there party people…It’s Sunday! Hopefully you all have some good plans for the day. Me, well I  have a peanut butter and jelly lunch date at the park with some littles, a butt load of plants to stick into the ground, and hopefully drinking much to much coffee while basking in the glow of the very lovely world. (which has been on point all week with warm weather, sunny days, splashed with the perfect  moments of rain) Everything is so green and lush and freshy, it’s hard to not to be full of happy and the feeling that anything is possible. It’s fantastical! Oh, and I got to give a shout out to my big sister for graduating from nursing school this week…Whoa HOO!!!!! (Does she realize she is from a family of hypochondriacs?  Texting nurse Shannon……she is screwed.)

Summer here we come…It’s GO TIME!

Internet links from the week……

-Going to be making myself one of these this weekRail Road Totes.

-I could see doing somethinglike thiswith my family… If I didn’t kill them first.

-Interesting….What If Americans Ate Like South Africans And Vice Versa? 

-I have felt like popping a few balls in my time.The Good Listener: Can I Deflate The Beach Balls At Concerts?

-My next project/living arrangement? (Hey, if we can live in a tiny room now, we can live in a tiny room on wheels)… The Vintage Nugget

-I can’ t believe this show was canceled, but thank the tv gods for Hulu….Hulu Saves The Mindy Project

-I am into all of these interiors atFrenchyfancy…..I wish I knew how to read french and wish I was that fancy.

A few pictures from the week….

The prettiest tree. LILACS!!!!!My yard these days..A wheel barrel full of strawberry plants. Pretty in purple

The mister and I  harvested a frame of honey…So pretty

Have a great today!

-C

I don’t know if I have bitched enough about it, but I only have one window in my living space. And as much as I love love love our little tiny loft, I am a person who needs the sun. So when I am home I spend a lot of time siting in front of the window.  Over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of watercolor painting in front of that window and somehow  between drawings of carrots and  vintage fans, I ended up making these marbled window stained glass hoops. And I am glade I did because these little watercolor gems really do make a big impact on my one source of sunlight. Even when the day is kind of gray and gloomy, having these in the window make the light seem brighter and happy. 

We can all use a bright happy window.

So this project is really easy and fast. I recommend that if you are going to go to the trouble (it’s really no trouble) of making one, you might as well make 2 or 5. I actually made a bunch (think Mothers day or Easter presents) and ended up only keeping a s couple. I am going to have to make a few more soon.

You will need-

• Watercolors 
• water
• paintbrush
• Sketch paper*
• A pan or tray with a bit of water 
• Embroidery Circles * (As many as you want to make)

*Notes

• -I tried to use a few different types of paper and found that the sketch works the best. Watercolor paper was a bit to thick and printer paper just kept ripping.
• -You can buy embroidery circles at any craft store and they usually have a good variety of sizes. Use the sizes that you like.

Take a piece(s) of paper a little bit bigger then the hoop you are working with and stick it into a pan or tray of water. Let it sit there for a few minutes until the paper is completely soaked.Take the wet paper and, oh so gently, crumple into a ball. This part can be a little tricky. You want to make as many creases as possible without ripping that paper. (I ripped a few pieces) I found that if I folded that paper a few time, then crumpled that it was less likely to rip.

Uncrumple the paper and lay it gently onto the inner part of the hoop. Now the fun part. Go to town with the watercolors. I used 2 colors per piece, but you could do 1 or 3, or more. When applying the color, use big gentle strokes and let the colors kind of meld together. Watch as all the crumple veins soak up the paint. Try using different dilutions of color. I applied some color on thinly and some on the thicker side. But really, you can’t go wrong, just keep applying paint until you are happy. I stopped a few times and held it up to the window just to see what it looked like. When it looked good, I was done.

When you are happy with the colors, let the paper dry for a while on the hoop  until it is not longer super wet. I would say about an hour or so, but if you stick it near the heater, it might dry faster. (Just don’t stick it in the oven while you are making bread like I did with one.. It just ended up setting on fire. Oops)

Once its pretty much dry, take the outer ring of the hoop and gently place around the inner hoop and tighten. Being super careful, trim the extra paper from the back of the hoop.

Place your pieces in a window and watch them glow.  Yow now have a happy window.

-C

Because it is cold outside. Because I had an hour to kill before I needed to leave the house and because I wanted to make a sweet treat for the mister (who had been dealing with frozen pipes all day) and for the little littles that I was going to hang out with.  My original idea was to just make regular old snickerdoodles, but as  I was riffling around my tea drawer for a mid day tea (it’s usually coffee, but I am trying to cut back on drinking one thousand cups a day) I got hit with a little inspiration. Chai tea spiced snickerdoodles. Yes! a nice black chai, full of flavors or cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, allspice, and pepper. So many good time tastes.  And while I am at it, why not add some chocolate to that mix, because, well just because.

Chai, chocolate, and sugar equals….Bada da da….. awesome Cookies! And who doesn’t want awesome cookies?

The stuff…Flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Cocoa powder, brown and white sugar. Veggie Oil  (you can use butter, or vegan butter instead for a chewier cookie) vanilla, a little vinegar and a nice cup of  chai tea…  Also a little bowl of cinnamon and sugar to doodle the cookies.

    The sugars, oil, tea, vinegar, and vanilla go into a big bowl. Beat for a minute on medium, then add the rest of the stuff and beat some more until fully incorporated…. Simple simple. 

Preheat the oven to 375 and get the cookies all dressed up in a cinnamon sugar suit by taking globs of dough and kind of rolling it into ball (perfection is not necessary) Drop dough balls into the cinnamon sugar and toss around to fully coat. Place on cookie sheet and give a good smoosh to flatten the cookie balls out to about 1/2 inch thick. Now into the oven for about 9-11 minutes to bake. 

Aahhhh…….pulled from the oven and placed on a rack to cool. Fluffy, chewy, pillowy soft and spicy cookies. Oh the smell of so good!Made extra large to make extra little littles happy. The best part? I made each little sing me a song for a second cookie… I am the greatest!

Heres to a Happy Hump Day!

-C

Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles 

The stuff-

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• Chai teabag steeped in 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil (can substitute butter or vegan butter for a more chewy cookie)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons each of cinnamon and white sugar to coat cookie balls in

Preheat oven to 375

In a cup, steep tea bag in 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Let tea steep for 10 minutes.

In  Large bowl, add sugars, oil, vanilla, vinegar and steeped tea and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients (besides cinnamon and sugar for coating) and beat on low until everything is fully incorporated. 

 Add the cinnamon and sugar to a small bowl and mix together. Take globs of dough and roughly formed  ball then drop into cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. Place coated balls on cooke sheet and smoosh down so cookies are about 1/2 inch thick. Place in oven for about 9-11 minutes or until cookies are just barely cooked through. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

My suggestion for sharing….If they want one, make them sing and dance for it!

 All I want to do is make everything into hearts and turn everything pink…Is that a problem?

I’m going to admit it, I am one of those girls that love Valentines day! And no, I don’t love it for the flowers (although I do love flowers..but never roses..yuk) No, I don’t want a box of candy or the silly store-bought cards. I don’t want to get all gused up and go out to dinner, and I definitely would be pissed if the mister bought me any jewelry. What I love is a day of spending time with my lover. We always take the day to do something special together, and for each other, and to be happy……and there is always hearts involved. I love hearts. 

 I want to spread that loving love love feeling because no matter what your love situation is during this holiday..we should all be happy and spread love to each other and to ourselves… And what better way to spread happy and love then with a pretty heart shaped baked good?  Chocolate because almost everyone is into chocolate. Coconut because I can’t stop eating whipped coconut cream and pink coconut sprinkle because that’s what make me happy. (I am a little obsessed with sprinkling things) These little hand-held pies of love are  really easy to make and always a big hit, especially with the little ones.(I am thinking they are perfect for a Valentines Day school party)  And yes, they are vegan so you can share with all your vegan friends! 

So in the spirit of the coming Valentines Day holiday….Lets make WHOOPIE!!!! (pies)

 Flour, baking soda and powder, salt  and cocoa powder. Soy milk with  vinegar. Vanilla, coconut oil, and chia seeds jelling. Brown and white sugar…. you know whoopie stuff.

The dry in one bowl… sugar and all the wet in another. 

All the whoopie stuff mixed together and scooped into a large zip top bag. So fancy with my bag…a real pro here!

Snip the tip of the bag, do a little squeeze test, and have at it. squeeze hearts onto a lightly oiled baking sheet or use a piece of parchment paper.  

You might get a little  frustrated if you are trying for perfect. I was for the first two batches,  but once I stopped trying to hard, I really got into how cool some of the hearts came out. Embrace the funky lop -sided hearts, because any heart is a good heart.So lovely. Shadow hearts while the whoopie hearts cool.

Whoopies all paired up

Stuffed with a generous dollop of whipped coconut cream ( a cold can of coconut cream whipped with a splash of vanilla and a tad bit of sweetener)  and sprinkled with my home-made beet dyed coconut sprinkles…..

Are you happy now? Because I know that I couldn’t stop smiling when I was making these… they are just to cute!

A couple bits of advice… Try to assemble before serving.. I was trying to put them together  while a punch of kids were trying to eat them. Things got a little messy and sprinkles ended up everywhere. Also, The coconut cream should stay fairly cold, so my suggestion is to make the hearts and fill only when you are going to serve them. Or if you want to make far in advanced, cover and refrigerate to keep from coconut cream from melting….But other than that…

Have fun making Whoppies!

-C

Coconut filled Chocolate Heart Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cups cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup  soy milk or milk of choice
• 1 Tablespoon  apple cider vinegar
• 2 Chia eggs ( 2 tablespoons seed mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup  brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375

To start, make chia eggs( chia seeds in water) and add the vinegar to the milk. Let both sit for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda,baking powder, and salt. 

In a large bowl, mix together chia eggs, sugars, and coconut oil. Add in dry ingredients and mix while slowly adding in the milk and vinegar mixture until fully combined.

Scoop Mixture into a large ziplock bag or piping bag. Clip tip and gently squeeze out heart shapes onto a lightly oiled or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake each batch for 8-11 minutes, or until a toothpick come out clean.

Let hearts cool completely on a wire rack. Pair up like sized hearts and fill with desired amount of *coconut cream. If your feeling festive, dust sides and or tops of cake with sprinkles

* To make coconut cream, refrigerate a can or coconut milk or coconut cream for at least 4 hours. Open can, drain liquid and place the  remaining coconut cream in a large cold bowl. Beat with a splash of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the sweetener of your choice. …. (careful because this stuff is super addictive)

Now share.. and watch how happy everyone is when they receive a heart shaped whoopie pie!! That’s love!

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I am a year round maker and consumer of soup.

With that being said, the nature of my soups change seasonally. My summertime soups are usually on the lighter side, made with the fresh bounty of the season, and spiced more on the light and floral side, opposed to the really deep and warm spices that I use all winter long,

This corn chowder is made just right. It had the perfect balance of hearty and creamy from the potatoes and use of pureed onion cream, but  still light and refreshing from the sweet fresh corn and the lemony fresh thyme. It is for sure a great summertime soup (chowder) Even the Mr. was even really into it, and he claims he doesn’t like corn. (I say bullshit to that.. he eats corn all the time)

Now to chowder!

The Stuff. Some super fresh corn on the cob, a couple onions, a few chopped up potatoes and a chopped up carrot. Then we have a little oil, a lemon, dried thyme and salt and pepper. 

To start, take an onion, chop it up, and toss into a large heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick pot on stove on medium heat and cook until  onions are soft and traslutcent. When the onions are done, remove and add to a blender or bowl. (if using a hand blender) Add in the juice of the lemon and blend it all up until nice a smooth. 

You have now made a nice creamy cream that will help make the final product more, well more creamy without the use of cream (lets say cream on more time !) .Set aside.

When the pot is empty again, add in the rest of the stuff, including the cobs of the corn, (they hold a butt load of flavor) the dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Place on stove and add enough water to completely submerge the veggies. Keep pot on a medium heat, add a lid, and stir ever once in a while. Cook until the potatoes are nice and tender. (when the potatoes are done, so is everything else)

Now that everything is all cooked up, remove the cobs and stir in the onion puree.

Now with a hand blender, blend up until the chowder is thick and smooth, but still nice and chunky. (If you are working with a blender, just remove about half of the soup and blend up, then dump back in) The optimal chunkiness  is up to you , so  blend, check the chunk,  then blend a little more if needed. If you feel that the soup is to thick, add in a little more water, or to thin, just cook down o little longer.

 Once you like the constituency,season to taste with salt and pepper and place pot back on a simmer until you are ready to serve. 

And thats how we make corn chowder

It tastes best serves in the daintiest of the cups, sprinkled heavily with cracked pepper, and with a side of some cracker situation (Saltines would be best, but sometime there are only triscits in the house)

Summertime is for chowder!

HAPPY Humpday Wednesday!!!

-C

Makes a pot big enough for 4-6 nice decent sized servings

• 2 fresh ears of corn
• 3 medium (tennis ball sized) red or white potatoes
• 2 white or yellow onions
• 1 carrot
• Juice of a lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2  tablespoons dried thyme
• salt and pepper

To start, peel and dice one whole onion and toss into pot with olive oil and stick on medium heat. Cook onions until translucent and fragrant. Remove from pot and add cooked onions and the lemon juice to a blender and puree until smooth and set aside.

While you are cooking down the onions, dice up the carrot and onion, remove the corn kernels from the cob, and chop up the potatoes. Once you have removed the first batch of onions, toss in corn, onions, carrot, potatoes, and the dried thyme. Stir around in the pot on medium heat for a few minutes just to warm up the spices. Add the cobs into the pot and fill with enough water to cover the stuff in the pot. Place back on medium heat with a lid and cook for another 20ish minutes, or until potatoes are super tender and almost falling apart.

Remove cobs from pot and add in the onion puree. Now either remove about half the soup and place in the bender and blend up til smooth, or use a hand blender and blend up chowder until you get your desired chunkiness. If you think the chowder seems to thick, add in more water, or to thin, just cook down a little longer on the stove.

When ready to eat, ladle chowder into a cup or bowl and add lots of fresh cracked pepper. 

Serve with a cracker and a spoon to eat it with.

Guess what guys ….I got myself a sick vintage waffle/ griddle iron. I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! I found this thing at the local recycled goods store the other day, along with a very beautiful old white pyrex mixing bowl. It was one of my best thrift store scores! (Checking out the inventory and the condition of all the old things that day, I would say an old lady had just died and all her perfectly keep, mint condition kitchen stuff had just been donated.  But it’s cool, cause I get the feeling that she was at least 90, with a big loving family, and was happy until the day she died. And I am sure she would be pleased that I have taken over the waffle maker. Thanks old lady!)

 And now I am pretty sure that  everything I make for the next week will be cooked on said waffle/griddle. I am serious, I already have a list of things to try and cook on it; cookies, biscuits, granola bars, potatoes, fruit, some type of pasta situations…. the list of possibilities is endless and I bet that at least 1/2 of these things will be totally awesome and amazing.

But first thing first. I need to make dinner.

So waffles for dinner!! 

Note. These waffles are completely 100% fantastic for any meal you want to make them for. They consist of nothing more then beans, a shit ton of veggies, and just a bit of cornmeal. But don’t let that fool you because they are super packed full of so much flavor, have a really soft tender inside, with a nice crispy outside and are so super pretty. They are wonderful! The stuff. First, we got a big old pile of shredded up veggies which include; carrot, beet, sweet potato, onion, parsnip, celeriac, and a little bit of kale.  A we got a bowl of rinsed and strained white beans, a little bit of cornmeal and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

The makings of something amazing!Before you do anything. get your waffle iron out and preheat it. 

While thats going on, take you beans,  add 3/4 cup water and puree until smooth with whatever blending device want to like to use. (I used my hand blender…less to clean)Now collect all the shredded veggies and dump into a big bowl with the bean puree, the spices and the cornmeal. Mix until combined. The batter should be thick, but not dry. If its seems to wet, add more corn meal, or too dry, add a little more water.

Note how my batter turned a magical pink… I love beets, they make everything pretty! And check out that bowl!When your waffle iron is preheated, oil it if needed (if your not sure, add a little oil just to really make sure your waffles don’t stick) and take appropriate size spoonfuls of the batter and stick on iron. Close it and wait…..My iron has a little light that turns on when the waffles are done cooking, so I waited patiently (ok iI did open it a few time) until light tuned on and removed the perfectly cooked waffles.

Did I mention how awesome my new/old vintage iron is?

SO AWESOME!!

I made a little gaucamole and gave the mister and little bowl of plain Greek yogurt with lemon juice, but feel free to top, drizzle, or dump whatever you want onto these beauties… 

Happy waffle Wednesday!!!

-C

Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles

Makes 8-10 waffles (in my iron) feeds 2-3 peeps

• 1 small carrot shredded
• 1 small parsnip shredded
• 1/2 a small celeriac root
• 1 small beet shredded
• 2 kale leaves chopped into tiny bits
• 1/2 an onion, shredded
• 1/2 a small sweet potato shredded
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 cups(or 1 can) cooked, rinsed and strained white beans
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• teaspoon each salt and pepper
• oil for iron(if needed)

Note on veggies… I used what I had in the fridge and shredded, it came to about 3 cups. If you don’t have these specific veggies or only want to use a few.. go for it. Just make sure to have 3 cups of whatever veggies you use.

Take you beans and blend them up with whatever device you would like to use. Once creamy, add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until combined.

Once the waffle iron is preheated, oil it( if needed) and place the recommended amount of batter right on it there. Close and cook until golden brown and waffly.

Serve on a plate with topping of your choice, A few suggestions.. Guacamole, salsa, hummus, mustard, greek yogurt… anything that tastes good to you.

Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…

Fork into face

  You ever make dish, completely on the fly, just to use something up (I have a lot of ripe tomatoes) with no real expectation, just because… Then have it be one of the best freaking things that you have ever made? This salad is one of those things.. maybe not the best thing I have ever made, but definitely the best salad I have ever made…. this week.

A salad compiled of all things amazing, taking just a few minutes to make and is the perfect balance of uber fresh with baby spinach, raw kale, and crunchy quick pickled onions. Then adding a touch of warmth with the sweet and juicy seared tomatoes and big chunks of creamy avocado.

I mean, for reals. ……Best Salad Ever !!!! (this week)

Now let’s do this.

 The Stuff. A big bowl of baby spinach and chopped up kale, a few sliced up roma tomatoes, some super thinly sliced red onion, half an avocado, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper.  Before you do anything, place the sliced onions into bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and add a few glugs of the red wine vinegar. You want the onions to sit in the vinegar for at least 5 minutes on the counter cause the longer they sit the more crispy pickly they get. (after eating onions like this, you will never want to eat them any other way) Lightly oil a skillet and preheat to a medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and pepper and  place tomatoes right on in, snugly, but not overlapping. Let cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook other side for another few minutes.Once the tomatoes are seared on both sides, remove them gently from skillet and toss them on top of the bowl of greens.

Take the pickled onions and toss those right on top, with any of the residual vinegar, add dice and scoop the half of avocado and toss that on in as well.And now eat the best salad ever (this week).

Make the day good!

-C

Skillet Seared Tomato and Quick Pickled Onion Salad

Serves 2 as a side, 1 for a hungry eater

• 2 large or 3 smaller roma tomatoes
• 1/2 of a red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cups chopped kale
• salt pepper
• 1/2 a ripe avocado 
• olive oil (to grease pan)

Thinly slice red onion and place in a bowl.  Add vinegar into a and sprinkle with salt. Let sit on counter for at least 5 minutes, if not longer,

Slice tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick rounds and sprinkle with a pitch or salt and pepper.  Lightly oil a skillet and preheat it on medium heat. Once the skillet is preheated, stick the tomatoes on it (watch out for splattering tomato juice) Cook first side for about 3 minutes or until the bottom has browned, then flip and do the same for other side. 

One tomatoes are seared, place directly onto the greens. Now dump the pickled onions and residual vinegar on top. And  dice up  avocado and add that on top too. 

Now eat your salad, fork or fingers…  

And I know, ba-daaaamn. So good.

My contribution to last nights dinner at my sisters…. Freshy fresh veggies spring rolls.I had about 30 minutes between work and getting over to my sisters house to throw something together so it needed to be something fast, easy, and something I could make without going to the store. She was making the main course (some teriyaki situation and rice) so I was doing up the veggies.

I had just bought a package of spring roll wrappers…. Bingo! The perfect and logical choice. I grab the wrappers, a variety of veggies and after spending 12 of my 30 minutes trying to scrub the oil based paint off of my face and hands, I still managed to completely prepare, construct, and take pictures of these lovely tasty spring rolls. and get over to my sisters in time for dinner.

Impressed?  

Damn right!

The stuff. Carrot, beet, asparagus, red cabbage, and kohlrabi, which all (except asparagus, which I just cut into thirds) got cut into matchstick sized pieces with my mandoiln. Then there are the rice spring roll wrappers that we need to make the veggies into rolls. Also a bit of red wine vinegar to drizzle onto the veggies for a little extra zing. And lastly, soy, fresh ginger, and a couple cloves of garlic for a spicy salty dipping sauce.Start by having everything set out and ready to assemble. Fill a large shallow dish or baking sheet with really warm water. Working with one at a time,place a rice wrapper into water and let sit for about 10 seconds or until the paper starts to soften. Remove from water and place on a damp surface (just splash a little water on the counter) Take a little bit of everything and and place on the lower middle part of the paper. Fold in the sides first, then tuck and roll the wrapper as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper.

Repeat until you have used up all you veggies.For the dipping sauce. Finely grate ginger and garlic and add to soy sauce. Stir… and it’s done.Freshy, pretty and fantastically delicious. And for real, took about 8 minutes to make. (I even had enough time to wash the dishes before we left!)

I am so awesome!

Hump Day Pow!!!!!

-C

Fresh Veggies Spring Rolls 

Makes 8-10 but can easily be increased or decreased to desired amount 

• 8-1o rice spring roll papers
• Splash of Red wine or rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• teaspoon  freshly grated ginger
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium beet
• 1/4 head of purple cabbage
• 10 thin fresh asparagus
• 1 small kohlrabi

Note… I used the veggies that I had in the fridge at the moment. If you have a bunch of veggies but not these particular ones, use what you have. Pretty much all veggies taste good inside a spring roll!

Gather your veggies and prep by either using a mandolin, a grater, or some sick knife skills, and julienne, shred, or slice you veggies into thin match sticks. Once all the veggies are prepared, sprinkle a little vinegar over the top.

For the rolls…Grab a large shallow vessel  (a rimmed baking sheet works great) and add in warm water. Working  one at a time, place the wrapper into the water for about 10 seconds or until the wrapper starts to soften. Remove and spread onto a clean, damp work surface. Gather a bit of each veggie that you are adding and place towards the bottom  middle of the wrapper. Now fold the sides in over the pile of veggies. Then with the side closest to you, tuck and roll wrapper away from you, trying to keep it tight, but not to tight that it rips.. (Hopefully that makes since.) Place finished rolls onto a damp surface to keep from sticking and if not serving right away, drape with  a damp towel or paper towel to keep from drying out.

For the soy ginger dipping sauce. Add grated ginger,  minced garlic, and soy into a bowl and mix together.  Serve with spring rolls. 

Eat one, two, or a plateful. It’s nice to share but not a necessity.

My winter farm share is coming to an end this week. One more pick and then a three week stretch until the summer share starts… WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!!! Stock up as much as I can is what.

I have been strategic about the roots and veggies that I have chosen to bring home the past few weeks.(My farm lets you pick what you want)  I know what I can buy at the store, things like carrots and potatoes, so I have been passing those up, but the roots like beets and celeriac… I have been bringing home baskets of those and hoarding them in the fridge and basement in preparation for the laps in farm fresh food and knowing that if I want to by these at the store it s going to coast me a million dollars  a pound. (a for real million dollars)

Yup, lots of roots around here, especially celeriac root which is fantastic. I am kind of obsessed with celeriac, with its fibrous, knobby exterior, soft but almost meaty texture inside, and a flavor that  is close to celery but so much better.  I don’t know why it has taken me so long to do a posting featuring this amazing root vegetable  (I eat it almost every day)

So here, an amazingly tasty, hearty but not heavy, celeriac recipe.  Perfect for spring and the change into summer…. Mustard roasted celeriac with an fanatic split peas gravy that will have you licking you bowl clean.

 The stuff….For the split pea gravy we have a carrot, a parsnip and a large onion chopped into small chunks.  Salt, thyme, a bay leaf and of course the split peas. Then there is the celeriac root* sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds and some plain old yellow mustard .

*Note. I don’t peel my celeriac root. I really enjoy the fibrous exterior but realize that some don’t(The mister does not like it) so peel it if you want. 

Toss the chopped parsnip, carrot, onion and the spices into a pot on medium heat and let veggies sweat a few minutes until tender.  Add in the split peas and enough water to cover everything.  Turn pot on high and bring to a boil, then cover and turn to low. Make sure to give the pot a good stir ever few minutes and add more water if needed 

While the gravy is cooking,  take the celeriac rounds and brush each side with yellow mustard, sprinkle with pepper, and place on a baking sheet. Stick into the oven to roast for about 25 minutes, flipping the rounds after about 10 minutes.

Once the peas have soften, remove the bay leaf and puree until smooth and oh so creamy. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. If you find that the gravy seems to thick, just add in more water until it’s the consistency that you want. The gravy is made, the celeriac is roasted… now we are ready to eat!! Stick the celeriac on a plate and dump good amount of that gravy right on top. Feel free to add a bed of spinach, or a grain or anything you want, because why not, and also some chopped tomatoes for a little acid and prettiness.

Serve with the fanciest knife and fork you can find. Extra yellow mustard and sriracha sauce are great condiments to have close by.

Happy Tuesday!

-C

Mustard Roasted Celeriac with Split Pea Gravy

• 2 medium celeriac roots
• 6 tablespoons mustard
• 1 large carrot
• 1 medium parsnip
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2/3 cup split peas
• 2-3 cups water 
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons thyme or italian spice mix
• salt and pepper
• spinach (optional)
• diced tomatoes(optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Small dice the carrot, parsnip and onion and throw into a large pot. Spinkle with salt and pepper, add in the thyme and bay leaf and add a splash of water. Stick on stove on medium heat and stir. Let cook until the veggies become soft and fragrant. Now add in the split peas and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then cover and turn heat down to medium low. Let cook until the split peas become tender (about 25 minutes) string on occasion and adding more water if the peas are not completely summered while cooking.

Once the peas are tender, let cool for a few minutes, remove bay leaf, and either dump into a blender or blend with an immersion blender until nice and creamy. If gravy seems to thick, add in more water. 

Scrub or peel celeriac roots and slice them into 1/2 inch think rounds. Place on a baking sheet and brush mustard on both sides and spindle with pepper. Stick into oven for about 10 minutes, flip, then back into the oven for another 15 or so minutes, or unit the celeriac is tender.

When the celeriac is done remove from oven and  stick a few rounds on a bed of spinach (or not, or any kind of grain or green you like) Top with a hearty helping of the gravy and toss on some chopped up tomatoes.

Eat with at knife and fork like a fancy person.

Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do….Completely empty the fridge  and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table. As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn’t have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass.  I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the “whats for dinner” conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now. 

Look at the is beast. I don’t call it a monster sandwich for nothing.

The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..

Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give  more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right.  Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.

Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty. 

Yea it’s Thursday!!!!

-C

A Monster Veggie Sandwich

Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy. 

• Either a bagel, 2 slices of bread, or a big chunk of baguette (use a gluten free bread if you want or need too)
• Hummus- Homemade or store bought
• Mustard
• Something pickled like pickles, banana peppers , jalapeños or all three 
• Lettuce, spinach or some kind of leafy green
• Tomato
• Avocado
• Onion
• Radishes
• Cucumber
• Shredded Carrots
• Shredded Beets
• Shredded Cabbage

To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate

On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.  

Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and  giving a little smooth to keep it together.

And go at it. Cut in half or don’t. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.

      And that’s how I know that this is a winner. As an awesome aunt, when I have any of my nieces or nephews,  I feel the need to make something special for dinner, something that the kiddos might not get very often, but also keep it on he healthy side. I have 2 littles for the night which gives me the perfect opportunity for a trash food recipe. You know trash food, things like boxed mac and cheese, beefaroni in a can, or, in this case, sloppy joes.

Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.

And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off… I mean, why not right?

The stuff… We start with onion and green pepper, chopped into pieces. Black beans, bulgur, can crushed tomatoes. Chili powder, garlic powder, a bit o apple cider vinegar (which I forgot to picture) ,and some salt and pepper. Oh and cheese if you want… Plus a bun of some sort is necessary.      Toss the chopped onion and peppers into a deep skillet or pot with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until tender and toss in the spices. Give a stir. Add in the beans, bulgur, and tomato, a splash of vinegar. Stir it all up, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and is nice and tender.

If you are a bun toaster… toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment,  making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth. 

Fantastic Friday!! Live it up. 

-C

Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes 

• 2 cups or 1 can cooked black beans
• 1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper
• a splash of apple cider vinegar
• olive oil
• 4-6 burger or bulky buns
• cheese (optional)

Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.

When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese. 

Eat with hands… Sloppy is good.

The other day the mister and I started reminiscing about some of our earliest memories of what our parents fed us or what they used to eat when we were growing up. One of the dishes that we both remember eating was the classic creamed beef on toast, or as my mom use to call it, shit on a shingle.   Yup, shit on a shingle. (who ever started calling creamed meat on toast is a freaking genius) I think that as a kid, I liked  the dish just for the mer fact that I could say the word shit and get away with it.  I think my mom liked it for few reasons; she could make a big butt load of it really fast, for a crap load of kids, on the super cheap. And I think that she just really like it.  

Shit on a shingle is one of those foods that I like to call “trash food”, you know stuff like beefaroni or pork and beans. Stuff that we all loved as little kids but might think twice about feeding to anyone now. ( I’ll still feed nick a can of beefaroni.. he likes it) As a throwback to our earliest food memories, (also a lack of food in the house and wanted to make something fast, easy, and cheap.. thanks mom!) I made the mister my rendition of the classic. Creamy Lentils and Mushrooms on toast. Not quite as trashy as creamed beef (lentils, mushrooms and onions are not trashy) but you get the same reminiscing feeling. I guess I could call it something like “stuff on a shingle” or lumps on a shingle”, but what kid (or adult)  would want to eat that. Let’s just stick with shit, it makes it more awesome to eat it.

The shit….. A few mushrooms, a bit of onion, cooked lentils, flour, milk, oil, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. And the shingles.. 2 pieces of thick white country bread. Slice the mushrooms and the onion and toss into a skillet with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until browned and fragrant..Remove from pan.In the empty pan still on medium heat, add in the olive oil and the flour. Whisky constantly, slowly add in the milk. Keep whisking until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Add in  salt, pepper, and garlic powder.Add the mushrooms and the lentils into the sauce and give it a good mix. Oh, and don’t forget to  toast up the bread. Now dump that shit all over those shingles! Oh the memories.

If you need to, make it classy by serving it with a cloth napkin and a nice fork and knife. But eat it however you need to. (As kids we like dirty hands and no fork, preferably with a big tall glass of overly sweetened red flavored kool-aid)

Enjoy this fantastic Spring weekend!

-C

 Shit on s Shingle (Creamy Lentils and Mushrooms on Toast)

One serving

• 1 cup cooked lentils
• 2- 3 mushrooms
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 cup milk (cow, nut, plant… whatever you want)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 pieces of nice thick but soft white sandwich bread

Slice the mushroom and onion and toss into a pan or skillet with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until brown and fragrant than dump onto a plate. In same skillet, add the oil and the flour and mix with a whisk while slowly adding in the milk. Keep whisking until sauce starts to thicken. Turn heat to simmer and add in the cooked lentils and the sautéd mushrooms and onions. Push down the bread in the toaster.. and when it pops up, dump the shill over it.